The popularity of the game of lacrosse has grown immensely over the last decade. Surprisingly, one of the major on-going costs for lacrosse programs and individual players alike is the cost of lacrosse balls. The lacrosse ball is a polymeric sphere with a petroleum base product. Although the cost for an individual ball runs about two to four dollars, the problem is the surface of the balls quickly become slick, making it difficult for players to accurately throw and control the balls from the pocket of a lacrosse stick. New lacrosse balls have a certain level of grip to them that players demand due to the grip providing the player greater accuracy and control over the ball and, further, allowing the players to throw the ball at higher speeds. Due to the balls petroleum base product, the grip on the balls quickly wears off and becomes slippery, resulting in balls that are difficult to use compared to the new halls with the appropriate grip surface. As such, replacing the slippery balls for new lacrosse balls is an on-going cost for lacrosse programs and individual players. Further, replacing slick lacrosse balls with new lacrosse balls is wastefid and unacceptable when considering the large volume of lacrosse balls in the U.S. alone and the potential impact polymeric/petroleum based products have on the environment.
Based on the foregoing, it would be advantageous to develop a system and method that would allow players to use the same lacrosse balls for longer periods of time and, therefore, reduce the costs for lacrosse programs and individual players and, further, limit the impact that lacrosse balls may have on the environment.